Fellow citizens,
for eight years it has been my honor to serve as your President. The
first decade of this new century has been a period of consequence, a
time set apart. Tonight, with a thankful
heart, I have asked for a final opportunity to share some thoughts on
the journey that we have traveled together and the future of our nation.

Five days from now, the
world will witness the vitality of American democracy. In a tradition
dating back to our founding, the presidency will pass to a successor
chosen by you, the American people. Standing on the steps of the Capitol
will be a man whose history reflects the enduring promise of our land.
This is a moment of hope and pride for our whole nation. And I join all
Americans in offering best wishes to President-elect Obama, his wife,
Michelle, and their two beautiful girls.

Tonight, I am filled with
gratitude to Vice President Cheney and members of my Administration; to
Laura, who brought joy to this house and love to my life; to our
wonderful daughters, Barbara and Jenna; to my parents, whose examples
have provided strength for a lifetime. And above all, I thank the
American people for the trust you have given me. I thank you for the
prayers that have lifted my spirits. And I thank you for the countless
acts of courage, generosity, and grace that I have witnessed these past
eight years.

This evening, my thoughts
return to the first night I addressed you from this House, September
the 11th,
2001. That morning, terrorists took nearly 3,000 lives in the worst
attack on America since Pearl Harbor. I remember
standing in the rubble
of the World Trade Center three days later, surrounded by rescuers who
had been working around the clock. I remember talking to brave souls who
charged through smoke-filled corridors at the Pentagon and to husbands
and wives whose loved ones became heroes aboard
Flight 93. I remember
Arlene Howard, who gave me her fallen son's police shield as a reminder
of all that was lost. And I still carry his badge. As the years passed, most
Americans were able to return to life much as it had been before 9/11.
But I never did. Every morning, I received a briefing on the threats to
our nation. I vowed to do everything in my power to keep us safe.

Over the past seven years, a
new Department of Homeland Security has been created. The military, the
intelligence community, and the FBI have been transformed. Our nation is
equipped with new tools to monitor the terrorists' movements, freeze
their finances, and break up their plots. And with strong allies at our
side, we have taken the fight to the terrorists and those who support
them. Afghanistan has gone from a nation where the Taliban harbored Al
Qaeda and stoned women in the streets to a young democracy that is
fighting terror and encouraging girls to go to school. Iraq has gone
from a brutal dictatorship and a sworn enemy of America to an Arab
democracy at the heart of the Middle East and a friend of the United
States.

There's legitimate debate
about many of these decisions. But there can be little debate about the
results. America has gone more than seven years without another
terrorist attack on our soil. This is a tribute to those who toil night
and day
to keep us safe -- law enforcement officers, intelligence
analysts, homeland security and diplomatic personnel, and the men and
women of the United States Armed Forces.

Our nation is blessed to
have citizens who volunteer to defend us in this time of danger. I have
cherished meeting these selfless patriots and their families. And America
owes you a debt of gratitude. And to all our men and women in uniform
listening tonight: There has been no higher honor than serving as your
Commander in Chief.

The battles waged by our
troops are part of a broader struggle between two dramatically different
systems. Under one, a small band of fanatics demands total obedience to
an oppressive ideology, condemns women to subservience, and marks
unbelievers for murder. The other system is based on the conviction that
freedom is the universal gift of Almighty God and that liberty and
justice light the path to peace.

This is the belief that gave
birth to our nation, and in the long run, advancing this belief is the
only practical way to protect our citizens. When people live in freedom,
they do not willingly choose leaders who pursue campaigns of terror.
When people have hope in the future, they will not cede their lives to
violence and extremism. So around the world, America is promoting human
liberty, human rights, and human dignity. We're standing with
dissidents and young democracies, providing AIDS medicine to dying
patients -- to bring dying
patients back to life, and sparing mothers and babies from malaria. And
this great republic, born alone in liberty, is leading the world toward a
new age when freedom belongs to all nations.

For eight years, we've
also strived to expand opportunity and hope here at home. Across our
country, students are rising to meet higher standards in public schools.
A new Medicare prescription drug benefit is bringing peace of mind to
seniors and the disabled. Every taxpayer pays lower income taxes. The
addicted and suffering are finding new hope through face -- faith-based
programs. Vulnerable human life is better protected. Funding for our
veterans has nearly doubled. America's air and water and lands are
measurably cleaner. And the Federal bench includes wise new members like
Justice Sam Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts.

When challenges to our
prosperity emerged, we rose to meet them. Facing the prospect of a
financial collapse, we took decisive measures to safeguard our economy.
These are very tough times for hardworking families, but the toll would
be far worse if we had not acted. All Americans are in this together.
And together, with determination and hard work, we will restore our
economy to the path of growth. We will show the world once again the
resilience of America's free enterprise system.

Like all who have held this
office before me, I have experienced setbacks. And there are things I would
do differently if given the chance. Yet I've always acted with the
best interests of our country in mind. I have followed my conscience and
done what I thought was right. You may not agree with some of the tough
decisions I have made. But I hope you can agree that I was willing to
make the tough decisions.

The decades ahead will bring
more hard choices for our country, and there are some guiding principles
that shape -- should shape our course. While our nation is safer than it was
seven years ago, the gravest threat to our people remains another
terrorist attack. Our enemies are patient and determined to strike
again. America did nothing to seek or deserve this conflict, but we have
been given solemn responsibilities, and we must meet them. We must
resist complacency. We must keep our resolve. And we must never let down
our guard.

At the same time, we must
continue to engage the world with confidence and clear purpose. In the
face of threats from abroad, it can be tempting to seek comfort by
turning inward. But we must reject isolationism and its companion,
protectionism. Retreating behind our borders would only invite danger.
In the 21st century, security and prosperity at home depend on the
expansion of liberty abroad. If America does not lead the cause of
freedom, that cause will not be led.

As we address these
challenges -- and others we cannot foresee tonight -- America must
maintain our moral clarity. I've often spoken to you about good and
evil, and this has made some uncomfortable. But good and evil are present in
this world, and between the two there can be no compromise. Murdering
the innocent to advance an ideology is wrong every time, everywhere.
Freeing people from oppression and despair is eternally right. This
nation must continue to speak out for justice and truth. We must always
be willing to act in their defense and to advance the cause of peace.

President Thomas Jefferson
once wrote, "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of
the past." As I leave the House he occupied two centuries ago, I share
that optimism. America is a young country, full of vitality, constantly
growing and renewing itself. And even in the toughest times, we lift our
eyes to the broad horizon ahead.

I have confidence in the
promise of America because I know the character of our people. This is a
nation that inspires immigrants to risk everything for the dream of
freedom. This is a nation where citizens show calm in times of danger
and compassion in the face of suffering. We see examples of America's
character all around us. And Laura and I have invited some of them to
join us in the White House this evening.

We see America's character
in Dr. Tony Recasner, a principal who opened a new charter school from
the ruins of Hurricane Katrina. We see it in
Julio Medina, a former
inmate who leads a faith-based program to help prisoners returning to
society. We see it in
Staff Sergeant Aubrey McDade, who charged into an
ambush in Iraq and rescued three of his fellow Marines.

We see America's character
in
Bill Krissoff, a surgeon from California. His son Nathan, a Marine,
gave his life in Iraq. When I met Dr. Krissoff and his family, he
delivered some surprising news: He told me he wanted to join the Navy
Medical Corps in honor of his son. This good man was 60 years old -- 18
years above the age limit. But his petition for a waiver was granted,
and for the past year he has trained in battlefield medicine. Lieutenant
Commander Krissoff could not be here tonight, because he will soon
deploy to Iraq, where he will help save America's wounded warriors and
uphold the legacy of his fallen son.

In citizens like these, we
see the best of our country -- resilient and hopeful, caring and strong.
These virtues give me an unshakable faith in America. We have faced
danger and trial, and there's more ahead. But with the courage of our
people and confidence in our ideals, this great nation will
never tire,
never falter, and never fail.

It has been the privilege of
a lifetime to serve as your President. There have been good days and
tough days. But every day I have been inspired by the greatness of our
country and uplifted by the goodness of our people. I have been blessed
to represent this nation we love. And I will always be honored to carry
a title that means more to me than any other: citizen of the United
States of America.